A day after coming up just short of a second-consecutive thrilling comeback, the Phillies, behind Roy Halladay, look to defeat Matt Harvey and the Mets. Harvey, just 24, comes into Monday’s game riding high off of a victory over the Padres where he struck out 10 and walked only two while surrendering just one hit against the Padres. Harvey is a much-respected prospect after being drafted seventh overall in 2010 and was ranked as Baseball America’s 54th prospect before making his MLB debut last season.

Minor controversy headed into tonight’s game involving Erik Kratz. Kratz took responsibility for any missteps early today with the media in regards for the early struggles of the pitching staff. However, this does not align with last year, as Halladay posted a lower ERA with Kratz than he did with Chooch as his battery mate. Tonight? Kratz gets a rest and Humberto Quintero will catch Doc.

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52 Comments

Rudy Canoza

April 8, 2013 at 5:54 pm

Another big start for Halladay (to say the least). I’m very concerned with the corner outfield defense…it has the chance to become a real circus when Delmon Young makes his 2013 debut. The last two games were the first two home games to draw under 40,000 since 2009…plenty of seats are going for below face value on the aftermarket sites.

“The last two games were the first two home games to draw under 40,000 since 2009…plenty of seats are going for below face value on the aftermarket sites.”

You raise what to me is an interesting subject that might not hold large appeal. I was wondering today, off the 2 just under 40K crowds over the weekend might be the crowd tonight. I’m sure the figure stuck in my mind is low, but I’ve got just under 35K stubbornly saying pick me, oh sacred chooser, pick me. If I had something at stake with the guess, I’d offer around what the first 2 games drew as the tix distributed, but decent chance of the actual bodies in the place to be just under 35K. NC2A title game won’t help, though it’s a minor factor.

Last night’s tickets distributed, which I believe is what they announce for attendance wound up just under 36K. Combined with the first (weekend games), the Phils have had roughly 13K unsold tix. The opener was a sellout, but that’s one of those sure fire deals once a year.

While it’s early, school and weather wise, it seems reasonable to project the Phils drawing an average of 38k, which we’ll use for some speckalatin’.

Keep in mind the many times during the 5 year run, and 7 year run of being right there with outstanding crowds, Ruben has voiced that the fans have made all this possible by supporting the club.That’s been the principal source of money that has allowed the long term deals of talent that been the core at the root of the success the Phils have had.

Now, for the first time in several years, it’s reasonable to assume a downturn in attendance.

It’s fair, and maybe conservative to say the Phils average ticket price is 45 dollars. It’s actually higher, but let’s say it’s the average Joe that accounts for the speculated drop, and those tix are no doubt at the lower end of the scale.

At 45 bucks per, times 5500 empty seats per, that’s 247,500 in non collected revenues per home date. Times 81 dates, and that’s in excess of 20 million dollars the club will miss out on for reinvestment purposes. That’s a lot of scouting money, or a real good free agent that spells the difference between average and contention.

Add to that the medium term committments, and it’s even more complex a financial picture.
The new TV deal will no doubt help, but it’s being negotiated off an industry near high dropoff from last year.

The monies spent seem so often taken for granted. This isn’t to point to a bleak future. But it speaks to the helluva challenge that faces the club in the beyond near term future.

I know I am in a very small majority on here, and the offense has not been a huge issue, but I would like to see a line up with JRoll leading off, I know it screw up the rest of the order, since you can not really have three or four leftys in a row, so you do not have an option at batting fifth. One option is JRoll, Utley, M Young, Howard, Brown, Rever, Katz, RFer Pitcher, the other is less feasable JRoll, M Young, Utley, Howard, JMJ, Brown, Rever, Katz, Pitcher. but maybe if Chooch hits like he did last year JRoll, M Young, Utley, Howard, Chooch, Brown, Rever, RFer, Pitcher, i like this line up if D Young shows he can still hit and play some D, and go Howard, D Young, Brown, Rever, Chooch, Pitcher. I do not have stats to prove it but I always like Jimmy inthe leadof f.

All off-season, when the likes of EricL and I (and others) posted comments about RAJ letting Schierholtz go for nothing, the unnecessary waste of money on Durbin and bringing in the two Youngs, we got shot down as “dissenters” and told to wait until the season to criticize. Had we waited until the season had started, I suspect we would be told that hindsight is 20/20.

The Chad Durbins, and Laynce Nixes of the world are what you get when you unnecessarily overpay your players for past performance in contracts for their expected decline years. They are still on the team to save face for the GM and/or because the manager loves veterans.

I was hoping that the team would start the season at 7-5 in their first 12 before playing 7 games against CIN and STL. If Lee can beat Gee and KK can beat Hefner, maybe they can take some momentum with them to Miami where hopefully Hamels and Doc can get some things straightened out.

this is not 2007 and this is not 2008 this is not even 2009. THis is 2013. 2007 we had howard rollins the mvps we had hamels who noone wanted to mess with and we had a certain “swagger” that carried us to 3 straight pen nits and a frachise best season. Today we have nothing but the same team much older looking more defeated by the day. I know its sooo early in the season, but what does the future hold. Do we really think this group can win another world series in the next 3 years?? With our age and no farm system its time to hang our hats on the great rides its been and enjoy what we have left

maybe resign Utley if he continues this way.keep Rollins Brown Howard (only because of the contract) not sure what you do with Ruiz Revere is cheap, Galvis Fransden also cheap
dump the following
Mayberry Nix Halladay Durbin Valdes M. Young, probably D. Young Kratz Quintero

Only a week into the season but man do the Phillies look very bad right now and, really, what is there to inspire any hope that they will be any better than this?

We could be seeing the last of guys like Chase, Jimmy, and Cliff in a Phillies uniform. I think Cole will be ours, and Ryan will stay because no one will take his contract. The team could be looking to blow it all up at the deadline if this continues how it has started. This include Charlie getting sacked.

So the next time you see Chase make an awesome play, hustle, or crack one out with that sweet compact swing, all while looking smooth as hell doing it, don’t take seeing it for granted.

I suppose a legitimate question to ask is; Where is that switch at anyway?
Someone turned it off when the ST games were about done and it hasn’t come back on yet. You know the switch for hitters to start hitting – that one.

Does anyone else see in Halladay what happened to Carlton years ago? A lousy couple months with the rhetoric of “my arm is fine it is just a matter of mechanics”? I keep hearing Halladay’s problem with his “arm slot”….Far too many innings has taken it’s toll on Halladay. I think he still has the pitches to be effective, but he needs to be spot on with those pitches and limit the mistakes….should be an interesting year